It's Sunday Afternoon and I Ain't Got Nobody (Get it??)

So, I'm thinking it's time for a review, and luckily I have one of those ready and waiting in my back pocket. After all, by now you must know that I have my opinions waiting at the ready whenever they may (or may not) be of use. That, being said, howsabout another music review? I did just see Black Kids, Mates of State and Sunbears on Friday and I'm chock full of things to discuss.

Sunbears:
They were cool, cute, and nerdy. They relied heavily on props like a big, bright video of their heads swirling around and candy jumping all over the screen, and an oversized, white balloon in the middle of the stage. The band consisted of two guys: one on keyboard and the other on drums (who also managed the strobe light with his foot). They were quirky but fun, and they totally won the crowd over by having embarrassing technical difficulties. Overall, they were cute. Nothing majorly special, but cute. And they gave me a big 'ole grin.

Next up was my personal highlight, Black Kids:
I only knew of them vaguely because I had heard their most well known song I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You on TV a few times and an old boyfriend put it on a mix CD once. I did, however, like the song a lot and I was excited to just go out and dance. Much to my surprise, they were amazing. The energy was great, the audience was great, and they did a great job. By the last song everyone in the crowd was jumping and dancing in utter exhileration and I could feel the music just pumping through my veins (yeah, I'm even okay with being trite to express how awesome the feeling was). Love Me Already and I've Underestimated My Charm (Again) were personal favorites, but I also really liked the cover they did (though I forgot who sang it and am now on a mission to find it). Overall, it was a great time and I'm really glad I went; I really can't wait to see what they do next.

And Lastly: Mates of State
They were good, certainly not novices. The band consists of a husband and wife drummer and keyboardist (accordingly) with a violinist and trombone player (I think?) in a lot of the songs. They were adorable, and definitely made me wish I had musical talent, was on tour and fifteen years older, and married to my bandmate. It was almost too cute, but it worked. The music was cool, but I was also not super familiar beforehand. I think it will all take a few more listens before I formulate a fully versed opinion, but I wasn't super wowed. They sounded good, but the stage presence didn't do much for my adrenaline, and I wasn't a huge fan of all the extra sound effects. I definitely wasn't put off, but I wasn't jumping to buy a CD either.

Alright, I guess that does it for today. I hope you enjoyed my concert observations; I just needed to fill up the review quota for the month. They're all definitely worth checking out, and I would recommend any of the three as a pick up, or just a good dance beat.